Decision about benefits not churches
I believe the Southern Baptist Convention and other similar churches are missing the point about the marriage equality case pending before the Supreme Court. If the court rules in favor of marriage equality, nothing will change for churches that want to continue to refuse to marry gay people. The marriage equality case is about whether the government can constitutionally deny the benefits of marriage to citizens simply based on the sexual orientation of those citizens. Churches will still be free to discriminate to their heart’s delight. In fact, if the opinion comes down in favor of marriage equality, churches will be the only place left that will be allowed to continue to discriminate based upon one’s sexual orientation.arriage equality will change nothing for the Southern Baptist Convention churches and churches that wish to discriminate as they do.
ROBIN FRAZIER CLARK
Clark is a past president of the State Bar of Georgia.
Pope’s message should end debate
The Pope’s encyclical on climate change has brought about increased awareness among Catholics and the public. People of all faith, in all countries, need to demand that political leaders take action to diminish and counteract the dangerous accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The Pope rightfully referred to the scientific evidence. There can be no doubt that the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas is destabilizing our climate. There is consensus in the peer-reviewed scientific literature about the causes and dangers. The debate is over, in spite of a few vocal gainsayers. They are like those people who maintained in years past that cigarette smoking had no ill health effects, that acid rain was not a problem, and that increased UV exposure due to ozone depletion was not an issue. I’m not Catholic, but grateful to the Pope for his initiative.
BERT H. SHUSTER, BUFORD
Airport gunman hurts valid carriers
Jim Cooley is correct in his belief that he has the right to carry a firearm — even an AR-15 — at the airport. What he fails to grasp is that by doing so he has done great damage to those who have a legitimate need to carry a firearm in such places. Cooley may be quite sane, but perception is what’s important and the public’s perception is that Cooley is not. I’ve carried a handgun all my adult life, and especially in high-crime areas in Atlanta, but discretion should be a paramount consideration; I carry a pistol or revolver carefully concealed and with proper permits. GeorgiaCarry.org needs to have a serious heart-to-heart talk with Mr. Cooley and impress upon him the extent of the harm he is doing. And maybe ask him to stay home or buy himself a pocket pistol.
DICK DONOVAN
Dick Donovan is Paulding county district attorney.
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